


Understanding

by garlicbug



Category: Invisible Inc. (Video Game)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Depression, Gen, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-27
Updated: 2015-11-27
Packaged: 2018-05-03 15:11:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5296154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/garlicbug/pseuds/garlicbug
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“You don’t understand,” he said, flatly, while she considered what to say. “You’re lucky.”<br/>She nearly fired him there and then. “<em>Really</em>.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Understanding

“So, tell me.” Gladstone tapped her fingernails on the desk. Sitting in her office like this made her feel like a bureaucrat, but right now she was too annoyed to care. “Were you seriously intending to undertake a high-risk infiltration while drunk?”

“Hungover,” Decker mumbled into his trench-coat collar. “Those’re your two choices.”

“What would you say if I chose to terminate your contract instead?”

No response. Decker had pulled his hat over his eyes, on account of the hangover no doubt. He hunched forward, hands in pockets, his limp arms pinned against his sides by the chair’s armrests. He looked like a mannequin that someone dressed up and put in front of Gladstone's desk as a prank. Many things about him felt like an elaborate joke at her expense, really.

“I’m technically operating the mission you were supposed to be in right now, so I’ll keep this short.” She paused to compose herself, and to let him stew. “I gave you a chance. I never expected you to swear an oath of fealty, but behaving the same way you behaved at K&O is going to end just as poorly for you. Much worse, in fact.”

Still no response.

She sighed. “Despite all evidence to the contrary, I know you’re not a stupid man.” She leaned across her desk. “It’s been two years, and too many near misses, and you haven’t changed, Decker. What’s stopping you?”

“Me.”

She hesitated. That wasn’t his pride or any alcohol talking. His voice was dampened by more than the stupid outfit. Like he was speaking to her from the bottom of a deep, dark well. The odd concern the others had when they told Gladstone he wasn’t fit for duty made far more sense, now.

“You don’t understand,” he said, flatly, while she considered what to say. “You’re lucky.”

She nearly fired him there and then. “ _Really_.”

“You could’ve wound up just like me.”

Gladstone regarded the wreck slumped in the chair before her.

If she hadn't been lucky.

If she had been skipped over for promotion, once too often.

If Derek hadn't ducked that precise moment to pick up his transporter, that one time, and the bullet in the wall he laughed about afterwards had torn his head off.

If she had escaped deprogramming just a little too late.

If she dwelt too long on her failures.

If she tried too hard to not to think about the war at all, then maybe...

“Decker.” She stood up. “There’s no chance in hell that I would have ever wound up like you.”

He didn’t look at her—he wouldn’t look at her for a week afterwards—as she walked to his side of the desk. When she put her hand on his shoulder, he flinched.

Not just a bundle of clothes, after all. “But I might understand. I’ll unlock the med-bay. Sleep it off. I’ll reprimand you properly later.”

Did she ever get around to that reprimand? Well, she was a busy woman.


End file.
